More Bus Moves

[BusHunter]

Here's some pictures of that traffic jam yesterday on Michigan avenue. If you think that traffic was moving in the middle of the intersections you would be wrong. Some times when an artic came through it would block up the whole SB for a few light cycles. Crazy I've never seen it that bad down there, not even on the day after Thanksgiving which is usually the busiest day in the Loop or Mag Mile areas.

[jajuan]

Here's some pictures of that traffic jam yesterday on Michigan avenue. If you think that traffic was moving in the middle of the intersections you would be wrong. Some times when an artic came through it would block up the whole SB for a few light cycles. Crazy I've never seen it that bad down there, not even on the day after Thanksgiving which is usually the busiest day in the Loop or Mag Mile areas.

frantic friday washington michigan halloween.PNG

frantic friday on michigan avenue on halloween.PNG

frantic friday all blocked up halloween.PNG

Well as pointed out, when it comes to the NB side of Michigan Avenue the fact that Lake Shore went through partial closings on Friday because of the heavy winds kicking up monster waves would have played a huge part in that traffic jam given NB Michigan Avenue does feed into LSD.

[MetroShadow]

Here's some pictures of that traffic jam yesterday on Michigan avenue. If you think that traffic was moving in the middle of the intersections you would be wrong. Some times when an artic came through it would block up the whole SB for a few light cycles. Crazy I've never seen it that bad down there, not even on the day after Thanksgiving which is usually the busiest day in the Loop or Mag Mile areas.

frantic friday washington michigan halloween.PNG

frantic friday on michigan avenue on halloween.PNG

frantic friday all blocked up halloween.PNG

After seeing these pictures, I do not regret taking the UPNW instead of the 56 downtown (and back).

/that walk definitely was painful though.

[ArcherRider]

Maybe a mistake on CTA train schedule because I read in PM rush a SB Purple Line Express leave Howard at 4:27pm then go to Downtown and back to Howard at 5:51pm instead of go all way to LInden.

[YoungBusLover]

I noticed fg got back #6528. But now I'm noticing #6555 is on the #9

Yeah #6555 has been at 74th for a few days now.

[garmon757]

#1581 and #1582 are police charters for this tightrope event involving Nik Wallenda. A shot of the tightrope.

[TripleTransit1]

#1581 and #1582 are police charters for this tightrope event involving Nik Wallenda. A shot of the tightrope.

I'm watching that right now. This man loves to tempt fate.

P.S. Look real closely at #1582, You can see its engine.

[sw4400]

#1581 and #1582 are police charters for this tightrope event involving Nik Wallenda. A shot of the tightrope.

Why do they have the engine cover up(at least on #1582, I presume #1581's is as well). I know the buses are sitting stationary, but the only time I know the engine covers are open is when the buses are broke down.

[garmon757]

Why do they have the engine cover up(at least on #1582, I presume #1581's is as well). I know the buses are sitting stationary, but the only time I know the engine covers are open is when the buses are broke down.

Both covers were up for whatever the reason was. It's plain stupid like one of them have a bomb or something.

[Mr.cta85]

If I'm not mistaken I believe I saw 1129 as a 95W heading eastbound to the red line. Saw it a few mins ago as I was making my way home from work. Can anyone else confirm this same bus?

[Mr.cta85]

If I'm not mistaken I believe I saw 1129 as a 95W heading eastbound to the red line. Saw it a few mins ago as I was making my way home from work. Can anyone else confirm this same bus?

never mind looking on bus tracker It was 1529. I guess I missed the 5 lol.

[ajm522]

Never seen this before...

[Juniorz]

Never seen this before...

What happened? was there an error?

[briman94]

Never seen this before...

"Introducing the new CTA Greenage line! Now you can get from Ashland to a different part of Ashland without even transferring!"

[Busjack]

"Introducing the new CTA Greenage line! Now you can get from Ashland to a different part of Ashland without even transferring!"

In a sense, you could always do that, but I think someone is angling for a derailment around 16th. But the virtual world is not the real world.

At least these were both southbound trains.

[andrethebusman]

I took the Ashland bus home earlier this evening(around 5:30-ish).... NB traffic and SB traffic was awful. Buses NB were literately back-to-back-to-back-to-back. The one that passed mine I guess terminated early(around Fullerton perhaps rather than at Irving Park as passengers we picked up kept asking if the bus was going to Irving Park). When I finally got to my destination, I took a peek at the Bus Operators' Clever Devices unit and had to do a double take....

Schedule Late: 88

My bus was 88 minutes late!!! I'm sure it wasn't the operator's fault because traffic was so terrible, but I'm sure the Traffic Supervisor will have some words about that, and the Garage Supervisor may have some words with the Traffic Supervisor about not getting some of the buses turned around and sent back south.

Unfortunately, delays of this magnitude are becoming more and more common. Friday I had a PM on 56. Leaving Jeff about 430p, was 45 down downtown, with follower still behind me. Didn't lose any more time going back to Jeff, but follower still behind me, not even in sight. Left Jeff again 45 down. passed follower near Montrose. Ended up finishing over 30 down. Nothing was ever done, nobody was ever turned. Milwaukee is not unusual, either. Belmont is also given to immense delays, and little is ever done anymore. I see single biggest problem is that there are no more point men out there - supervisors stationed at specific spots. There are simply not enough supervisors in cars to keep up with the ever-worsening congestion caused delays. It isn't just one bus behind schedule any more. It is the whole street grotesquely late. You can't go faster than traffic is moving, and if traffic is barely moving, so is the bus. Eventually short-turning no longer does any good, because the bus can't make schedule going the other way, either. Only answer, I'm afraid, will be lots (and I mean LOTS) more running time. On some streets probably double. Otherwise we will all just have to live with the endless delays.

[andrethebusman]

Why do they have the engine cover up(at least on #1582, I presume #1581's is as well). I know the buses are sitting stationary, but the only time I know the engine covers are open is when the buses are broke down.

Reason both tailgates open is that both were in "rear run". If you set switch in rear run, engine will run indefinitely. If you leave it in "normal", bus shuts down in 15 minutes. Leave tailgate open to remind drivers/supervisor to put back in normal position when getting ready to leave, as otherwise bus will not go into gear.

[Busjack]

Reason both tailgates open is that both were in "rear run". If you set switch in rear run, engine will run indefinitely. If you leave it in "normal", bus shuts down in 15 minutes. Leave tailgate open to remind drivers/supervisor to put back in normal position when getting ready to leave, as otherwise bus will not go into gear.

So, while these 2 may not have been in service, what is the explanation of the pictures of those traversing their routes with the engine cover open?

[sw4400]

Unfortunately, delays of this magnitude are becoming more and more common. Friday I had a PM on 56. Leaving Jeff about 430p, was 45 down downtown, with follower still behind me. Didn't lose any more time going back to Jeff, but follower still behind me, not even in sight. Left Jeff again 45 down. passed follower near Montrose. Ended up finishing over 30 down. Nothing was ever done, nobody was ever turned. Milwaukee is not unusual, either. Belmont is also given to immense delays, and little is ever done anymore. I see single biggest problem is that there are no more point men out there - supervisors stationed at specific spots. There are simply not enough supervisors in cars to keep up with the ever-worsening congestion caused delays. It isn't just one bus behind schedule any more. It is the whole street grotesquely late. You can't go faster than traffic is moving, and if traffic is barely moving, so is the bus. Eventually short-turning no longer does any good, because the bus can't make schedule going the other way, either. Only answer, I'm afraid, will be lots (and I mean LOTS) more running time. On some streets probably double. Otherwise we will all just have to live with the endless delays.

So a Bus Operator will not face any disciplinary action for lateness beyond his/her control, like the Ashland incident stated above(which I think is fair, as he had no way to avoid the traffic mess)? But I know there are those at the brass level that don't want to hear it.... they just say "Unacceptable, here's you verbal/written warning for being XX minutes late." Even though it clearly is not his/her fault.

I've seen Bus Operators who are late act all jittery and grumpy(especially when they have a line of people at stops and the Ventra reader is slow to read cards or is having problems getting a read on some cards). I remember one Ashland driver who was only like 2 minutes late according to the Clever Devices box, but she was trying to fly down Ashland and getting increasingly irritated when passengers requested stops and there were lines of people at stops, forcing her to have to wait at a light that turned red while people boarded/departed. Do you think they act this way because the Supervisors are, in fact, writing Operators up for being late even though it's beyond their control?

[Busjack]

So a Bus Operator will not face any disciplinary action for lateness beyond his/her control, like the Ashland incident stated above....

It is clear that Claypool wants to fire anyone he can. While I suppose an L operator can control whether he hits a berthing mark, what makes you think that a bus driver can control traffic, especially if the supervisor doesn't tell him/her to turn back?

Or given BusHunter's example on Boul. Mich, the driver is just supposed to plow through cars into a flood on LSD? Don't you remember the blizzard of a couple of years ago? Should all of those drivers have been fired?

[andrethebusman]

So a Bus Operator will not face any disciplinary action for lateness beyond his/her control, like the Ashland incident stated above(which I think is fair, as he had no way to avoid the traffic mess)? But I know there are those at the brass level that don't want to hear it.... they just say "Unacceptable, here's you verbal/written warning for being XX minutes late." Even though it clearly is not his/her fault.

I've seen Bus Operators who are late act all jittery and grumpy(especially when they have a line of people at stops and the Ventra reader is slow to read cards or is having problems getting a read on some cards). I remember one Ashland driver who was only like 2 minutes late according to the Clever Devices box, but she was trying to fly down Ashland and getting increasingly irritated when passengers requested stops and there were lines of people at stops, forcing her to have to wait at a light that turned red while people boarded/departed. Do you think they act this way because the Supervisors are, in fact, writing Operators up for being late even though it's beyond their control?

There are many things you can get fired for at CTA, but being behind schedule is not yet one of them. If you are late, you are late. If you purposely leave late, that might be another story, but basically as long as you are moving, you are OK. And believe me, they can tell if you are moving or not. If you had access the the supervision-version of Bustracker, you would be appalled at how many buses are late during rush hours, and how late they are. This has become the norm, everybody knows it, and nobody has the intestinal fortitude to do what it would take to fix the problem, because it would cost too much and be politically incorrect.

[andrethebusman]

So a Bus Operator will not face any disciplinary action for lateness beyond his/her control, like the Ashland incident stated above(which I think is fair, as he had no way to avoid the traffic mess)? But I know there are those at the brass level that don't want to hear it.... they just say "Unacceptable, here's you verbal/written warning for being XX minutes late." Even though it clearly is not his/her fault.

I've seen Bus Operators who are late act all jittery and grumpy(especially when they have a line of people at stops and the Ventra reader is slow to read cards or is having problems getting a read on some cards). I remember one Ashland driver who was only like 2 minutes late according to the Clever Devices box, but she was trying to fly down Ashland and getting increasingly irritated when passengers requested stops and there were lines of people at stops, forcing her to have to wait at a light that turned red while people boarded/departed. Do you think they act this way because the Supervisors are, in fact, writing Operators up for being late even though it's beyond their control?

Some people can handle how this job works in the real world, others can't. Back when I first started at CTA, one of the old heads told me a great piece of advice - don't get into an accident, and let supervision worry about the schedule. If you get late, so what? Just get to the end of the day in one piece. the fools who get all worried because they get a few minutes behind, are just that - fools. They will get in a hurry, something will happen, and they will be out. I stopped worrying a long time ago. I just keep going the best I can. There have been times when I have gotten off a bus for fallback, walked across the street, and gotten on the bus I was relieving. So what? As long as I make it to the end of the day without having to make out any accident reports, I'm fine.

[Busjack]

Some people can handle how this job works in the real world, others can't. Back when I first started at CTA, one of the old heads told me a great piece of advice - don't get into an accident, and let supervision worry about the schedule....

And one is disqualified from the Million Mile Club only if the accident was avoidable. Again, it gets down to the point sw is having problems with, that there are things you can control and things you can't.

[strictures]

Unfortunately, delays of this magnitude are becoming more and more common. Friday I had a PM on 56. Leaving Jeff about 430p, was 45 down downtown, with follower still behind me. Didn't lose any more time going back to Jeff, but follower still behind me, not even in sight. Left Jeff again 45 down. passed follower near Montrose. Ended up finishing over 30 down. Nothing was ever done, nobody was ever turned. Milwaukee is not unusual, either. Belmont is also given to immense delays, and little is ever done anymore. I see single biggest problem is that there are no more point men out there - supervisors stationed at specific spots. There are simply not enough supervisors in cars to keep up with the ever-worsening congestion caused delays. It isn't just one bus behind schedule any more. It is the whole street grotesquely late. You can't go faster than traffic is moving, and if traffic is barely moving, so is the bus. Eventually short-turning no longer does any good, because the bus can't make schedule going the other way, either. Only answer, I'm afraid, will be lots (and I mean LOTS) more running time. On some streets probably double. Otherwise we will all just have to live with the endless delays.

I had a NB 22 on Friday evening from Irving Park. I could read the Clever Devices monitor & he was Schd 0 most of the way, sometimes, 1 minute late. But then at Foster, he started driving slowly & by Devon, he was 4 minutes late. No traffic, almost no passengers, there was a bus a few blocks ahead. He deliberately made himself late. After the Devon time point, then he drove normal speed.

[jajuan]

Never seen this before...

In a sense, you could always do that, but I think someone is angling for a derailment around 16th. But the virtual world is not the real world.

At least these were both southbound trains.

Yeah looks like each train tripped a tracking point before the switches in question aligned themselves in the proper configuration for that line.